Libya 'ready to name killer of Pc Yvonne'

Libya today signalled it may be ready to name the killer of Pc Yvonne Fletcher, shot outside the country's embassy in London 20 years ago.

Libya's foreign minister, on a visit to London, said his country was ready to help "close the file" on the case. He promised his government would tackle the issue "with a spirit of co-operation, transparency and honesty".

Identifying Pc Fletcher's killer, if it becomes reality, would remove a major stumbling block to relations between Britain and Libya.

Pc Fletcher, 25, was shot in the back as she tried to police a demonstration outside the embassy in St James's Square. Both sides agree the shot was fired from within the building.

Pc Fletcher's mother today welcomed news of a possible breakthrough and hoped improved relations with Libya would mean her daughter's killer may yet stand trial.

Queenie Fletcher, 70, who once met Libya's leader Colonel Muammar Gadaffy to demand he hand over the killer, told the Evening Standard: "This has gone on for far too long now and every day I meet people who still remember the day Yvonne was killed.

"I hope Yvonne's murderer is made to pay for taking her from us and that Britain and the United States will now allow Libya to rejoin the international community."

At a press conference to mark his visit to London today, foreign minister Abdelrahman Shalgam did not dispute a challenge that, since the shot was fired from inside, Libya must know the killer's identity.

He said the issue had been discussed with Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, adding: "We are going to work on this issue with a spirit of cooperation, transparency and honesty. "

Libya accepted "general responsibility" for Pc Fletcher's killing when relations between the two countries began to improve in the late Nineties. It also agreed to compensate her family.

Today's signal, however, appeared to open the way for progress - although even if a suspect is named, there is no guarantee the perpetrator will be brought to trial.

Mr Shalgam's visit to Downing Street was the first by a Libyan minister since Colonel Gadaffy seized power more than three decades ago.

He held talks both with Mr Blair and Mr Straw, and the Foreign Secretary later confirmed that Mr Blair was ready to visit Tripoli, the Libyan capital, although a date has yet to be set.

The Prime Minister will hail the move as the latest reward after the Iraq war - delivering better relations with countries once linked to the "axis of evil".

But the war's aftermath continued to dog Mr Blair today with a renewed outburst from intelligence expert Brian Jones.

Dr Jones - until last year head of the nuclear, chemical and biological branch of the Defence Intelligence Staff - branded as "nebulous", and threadbare at best, the intelligence behind claims that Iraq could deploy some weapons of mass destruction in 45 minutes.